Alle Beiträge von Peter Obran

1874 the central cemetery opend its gates and counts with 2,5 squarekilometers to the largest cemeteries in Europe. Today many tourists travel into the 11. district where the cemetery is located to have a look. It is in deed a special place. There are different places for the different religions. Many special Buildings you can find on areal. But it is more than a cemetery its a living space for many animals which have their homes inside the walls. There are made own TV-docus about the animals plants on the cemetery.

The centre of the cemetery is the Kapellenhof build after the plan from Max Hegele. On the areal are many interesting monuments like (the memorials for victims of the marchrevolution,the warmemorial, a jewish warmemorial, and the memorial for the victims of the austrian resistance against the nazis) and chapels. Also the gates are works of art. For example the 2nd gate has reliefs from sculptors Carl Anelm Zinsler 1867-1940 and Georg Leisek 1869-1936.

One of the most known wallpicture in the history „the last sacrament“ is in the monastry Santa Maria delle Grazie. What not so many people know is that the only original replike in the original size is hanging as mosaik in a viennese Minoriten church.

Napoleon wanted to take the Fresko to Paris but this was not possible so he instructed the roman artist Giacomo Raffaelli to make a replike. But as the work was finished Napoleon were inprisoned in Elba. So the austrian emperor Franz I bought the work and instructed to bring the 20 tonne heavy mosaicboard to Vienna where it came to the Minoritenchurch.

Soon the anniversary year 2015 ends. 70 years ago the 2nd world war ended 60 years ago Austria became free from the alied doccupation. I have to write about that for Austria and Vienna so important happenings.

The nazi regime became the darkest years of austrian history. Both of my grandfathers fought in the war. My mother became what we call homecoming kid. At the end of 45 my grandpa got released from the americans. About 9 mounth later my mom was born. So if want or not our life is still effected of the war. If we turn on the TV still allmost each day there are docus about the war. Because so many people are interested about. My Generation is called war grandchildren. We know our grandfathers as caring grandfathers but we don`t know what they experienced during the war because the couldn`t or didn`t wanted to tell it. So this questions still remaind.

After the war ends nobody wanted to talk about so much about, they just tried to forget. (The German movie „im Labyrith des Schweigens“ tells about that fact) The people were busy to repair their homes and the public buildings. Vienna was bombed by the americas, they followed the strategy to bomb military targets. So Vienna became not that damaged like for example Dresden.

The battle about Vienna took 20 days and marked the end of the 2. world war for the viennese citizens. Each life this battle took was one to much. The austrian ressitance movment tryed to minimize the damage. Also inside the Wehrmacht existed intentions to hand over the city without fight. In connection with the ressistance the try to avoid hitlers „nero-command“. But this intention were betrayed and the Officiers Rudolf Raschke, Alfred Huth and Karl Biedermann wehre exicuted. (In Floridsdorf stands a memory for Karl Biedermann and in Penzing a casern is named after them). The fight became a house to house battle arround the bridges they becam verry intensive. Also the area around the arsenal became a hotspot.

Soon after the end of the battle the war ended and Austria and Vienna were occpied by the allied forces. With the war a dark area went to an end and the difficult area of the occupation begun.

Soon after the war ends the friction and the distrust between the alies begun. The cold war became reality. Vienna became a hotspot for secret intelligece operations. For the viennese the occupation became a hurdle race. To switch between the western allied and the sowiet zones papers were needed. The Austrians did not know how the future continues. Many Soldiers still stood in war captivitiy. The woman started to repair the damage. For the next ten years the Austrians faced the occupation but get also in Contact with the culture of the winners nations. The american started their Marshall-plan and helped so to rebuild Europe and also Austria. Behind the curtains the austrian politicians negotiated about the Austrian independence. Slowly the Soldiers came back from imprisonment.

And after 7 years Nazirule and ten years occupation Austria got on 26. October 1955 free. It came „out of the dark and into the light“,

If you walk frorm the Stephansplatz to the corner Singerstraße / – you come to an unimpressive building. But behind that walls there are old historic buildings. If you enter the passage you come to the old medivial chappel of the german fraternity. It is a kind of a magic and mysterious place that I like, with statues of knights different singns where you think what does it mean and which kind of person left it. At the wall are hatchments from high fraternity knigts. From the original building a gothik longbuilding after four fires nothing left apart from the churchtower. The Church were rebuild in several stages. 1395 it were holey agained. On the churchwall 80 crests from rich knights were fixed there. The winged altar was build 1520 in Mechelen for the Marienchurch in Dresden. In 1864 the altar was brought to the fraternity church.

Inside the church

If you go ahead you come to a first yard. There are officerooms from the fraternity. In the second yard there is a restaurant.

The fraternity was found as hospitality community during the siege from Acre (1189 -1191) The founder was Master Sibrand in Septmber 1190. It was a difficult time for the christians. They were in danger to lose there exististence in the holy land. In that situation Guido from Lusignan (the husband of Queen Sybille) the temerarious decision to siege Acre. His incitement was to gain again a position of power. But for the Situation of the christian it was the best that could happend. In that high noon situation ha came with around 2000 man strong army. The garrison in the city counted nearly the double and a view day travelles far stood Saladin with his big army. He sieged a castle. Nobody know how but the small christian force could survife. Maybe because Saladin hasitated in the situation. A view days later the first christian ships arrived to reinforce the army. In one of the countless ships that arrived in Acre were the german traders which layed the foundation for the german fraternity. They saw the miserable situation of the injured and initiated a field military hospital. Under the Army were johanniter but they had not the capacity to help all the wounded and sick soldiers. Alltough so many ships came to strenghen the christian (In Europe many pepole left all behind to go Acre and help – It could be compared with a fever) they were not able to surrender Acre. They were waiting for the two great kings Richard I (lionhard) And King Phillip Augustus the french king. They came after the christian army stood there for 18 mounth. They faced hunger and sickness in front of the walls. And soon Acre were defeted.

Akkon today on that half iland was the mediveal city located.

1198 the hospital community became a knight fraternity. The first leader was Heinrich Walpot. Soon the german fraternity became an influence in the kingdom Jerusalem. The fraternitis high masters became kings consultants. An important role during the 5. crusade played the 4. Highmaster Hermann from Salza.

He worked out a compromise with the high peers of the kingdom from Jerusalem. Until 1250 the fraternity owned castles land and property in the holy land in Gaza, Tyros, Sidon and Tripolis.

In the holy kingdom of german nation Transsylvania, Bohemia, Moravia and Burgundy they begann to buy land and real property. So they won also in europe more and more influence. In Vienna they established between 1204 to 1206 their big property next to the Stephanschurch.

House of the German fraternity in Vienna today

After the decline of the crusadersstate the german fraternity worked in europe. In the 13 century the fraternity builded a state in the north of Europe (Baltikum noth Germany) which existed until the 16. century. The legacy the the fraternity state left was the land Preußen. After the war the fraternity faced difficult years. The financial situation were difficult for many fraternity communals. In the 2. nd Worldwar the fraternity faced prosecution.

In the Presents the headquater of the fraternity is in the building next to the Stephans cathedral. The Highmaster Marian Josef Tumler was the fist that resided during is lead in Vienna.

Today in the fraternaty hous are not just offices. It houses the treassure chamber where are many different precious artifacts like reclic, weapons, pictures and altarpieces to see.

The central archive of the fraternatiy, where ar thousends of old ducuments. Beside is also a guest house for travelling people.

Football and theater have something common. It is a show and both live from the audience. The Sucess of Football and the theaterplayers depends on the performance. Vienna has a great tradition on theater and soccerplayers. Ferdinand Raimund was one of the actors who layed the foundation for a long and great history of viennese actors, writers directors and regisseur. He was a multitalent and a genius. The Raimund theater is named after him.

Raimund was born 1. June 1790 in the Mariahilferstraße 45 in todays 6. district. His first contact was in his youth while he made his apprentice as confectioner in the bakery Jung which became later the famous bakery Demel, he sold sweets in viennas teathers. There Raimund fell in love with the acting and he spent a lot of time there. From 1808 he started his career as actor in a travelling theater. 1814 he debut in the Theater in the Josefstadt. His artistic breakthrough he had on 28. March 1815 in the play „Musikanten am Hohen Markt“ In January 1816 he played and leed the Regie. Raimund was a true perfectionist and sometimes it came to fisticuffs between him and his colleagues.

Theater an der Josefstadt heute

On the 11. October 1817 he had his first performance in the Leopoldstädter Theater. He played in the play „Herrn von Weißvogels Witwerstand“ written by Josef Alois Gleich his future father in law.

Leopoldstädter Theater

1820 Raimund married Luise Gleich. Raimund was forced to merry her because she were pregnant from him. To the first wedding termin in 1919 he didn`t appear and caused a scandal through this.

1824 he became the artsdirector there. 1828 he became the generalmanager. It was a dificult work for him because the owner Rudolf Steinkeller did`nt give him free hand to choose the staff by him self. 1830 he quit frustrated his job and acted in different theaters like the Theater an der Wien, in Munich and Berlin.

In his worketime Raimund acted, wrote and directed. His works and plays are marked through the poetic beauty and the melancholie and became classics.

Raimund als Bettelstudent

After his divorce he got togther with his youthlove Antonie Wagner the daugther of a cofeshop (he met her 1819 the first time) and stood many days in his house in Gutenstein an der Piesting. Ferdinand Raimund shared the fate of other famous artists. He became manic depressive. And this illness caused also his dead in 1836.

Vienna brought out many great actors, writers and direktors like Hans Moser, Paula Wessely, Peter Weck, Otto Schenk and many others…

The other great theater we can find in the sportsworld. It is football. It is off course a great show and drama. The FIFA gave them also a krimi aspect.

From the current point of view we can note that the austrian nationaltem qualified for the Euro 2016 in France. For the austrian football a great thing. Today we Austria has many talented and mature players like the great star David Alaba which went out from Vienna to become a international star. But Alaba stands not alone there are players like Marco Arnautovic and Marc Janco which also went out from Vienna to became Stars.

Austria and Vienna has a great tradition and history of famous footballplayers and trainers. Unforgettable for example is Ernst Happel. Austrias largest Stadion is named after him. Happel was the most famous austrian coach. He counts to the most successful trainers in the history. He won 9 national championships, 6 national cups, 1 worldcup, 2 x Cup of the national champions (forerunner of the chamions league). Happel was not a nice guy. He was infamous for his kind to win authority and respect from his players from the first day on. He liked players with character and hard worker on the field, he liked teamplayer. Players which had not this attitude had a hard life. Maybe this tuff attitude was one of the aspects which made him that successful, he passed it to the players. But he was more than just the tuff guy it was also his understanding of the game and his tactic understanding which made him to this trainer-giant.

Happel Memorial on the Ernst Happel Stadion

As player he was a typ that he had not tolerate as trainer. He was a like Marco Arnautovic a view years ago a sloopy genius, a player with a great intelligence all time to heave for some hokum on and aside the field. So he made nightly trips while he stood at the nationalteam. Or he shot in a preparatory game at the stand of from 15 : 0 for the nationalteam willful an spectacular owngoal after the goal he said to his friend the goalkeeper Walter Zeemann „What you are the the tiger from Budapest, the panther from Glasgow, no you are the asshole from Hütteldorf“ Both laughed after that . After that the trainer Happel would have kicked out the player Happel forever.

Today Vienna brought out players like David Alaba. He is a smart guy a successful and great player which earns sympahty for his down to earth character. Marco Arnautovic is a typ which impresses whth his self eestem, he made the transformation from a kind of a chellenging player to a exhibit profi which is a great achivement. Or Marc Janko which always came back after difficult times much stronger than before.

With the successful qualification for the Euro in France the national players step out of the shadow which warped the heros of the past like Krankl, Prohaska, Herzog and Polster. I belive they are able to play a great part in the thater football and leave their footprints in austrians football history.

Alfred Zinnemann known as Fred Zinnemann was born 1907 in the 3rd district and Samuel Wilder known as Billy Wilder was born in Sucha in Austria Hungary. Both came in their childhood to Vienna. They both went in Vienna in the same class in the privatgymnasium Juranek in the 8. district and created a friedship tbat lasts their hole life.

Billy started to work after his degree at the boulevardpage „die Stunde“ one day he interviewed the Jazzmusican Paul Whiteman he was so impressed from Wilder, that he inveted him to Berlin where he finaly stood.

Fred began after his degree at the „Kaiser Franz Josef Gymnasium in the 1st district against the advice of his relatives after his degree in 1927 an education as cinematographer at the École nationale supérieure Louis-Lumière in Paris.

Billy wored in Berlin as Journalist and started to write scripts. One day a strange situation changed his life. The CEO of a Moviecompany fled over the balkony next to his tiny flat into his flat. Wilder used the situation to sell him his script. So he started his career in the movie industry.

Zinnemann moved in 1928 to Berlin to work theire. Fred met their his old friend Billy and worked as Cinematograph in the Movie „Menschen am Sonntag“ for which Wilder wrote the script. In 1929 Fred moved to Hollywood where he worked as assistent for the 1885 in Vienna born filmmaker and scriptwriter Berthold Viertel .

1931 Wilder wrote togehter with Gerhard Lamprecht the script for „Emil und die Detektive“ (Roman from Erich Kästner). In 1933 after the takeover of the Nazis Wilder escaped to Paris, because we was a Jew. In Paris Wilder worked as Gosthwriter for french scriptwriter. 1934 we came together with the 1880 in Vienna born Joe May (born as Joseph Mandel) into the USA. 1936 he started to work for Paramount.

1936 Fred Zinnemann became american citzen and began 1937 for the shortfilm department from Metro Goldwin and Mayer. In 1938 he won for the shortmovie „That mothers may life“ (a movie about Ignaz Semmelweis) his first Oscar which opend him the way to become motion picture director.

In 1942 Wilder started his career as moviedirector with the movie „The major and the minor“ with Ginger Rogers. 1946 Wilder won two Oscars for „The lost Weekend“ (as director and scriptwriter)

Fred Zinnemann won 5 Oscars and made movies like: high noon (1950 Director) From here to eternity (1953 Director) The Nun`s story (1959 Director) The day of the Jackal (1973 Director)

Billy and Fred went out of Vienna conquered the movie world and became two of the most famous and influencing moviemakers in the history.

In Memory of Billy Wilder Vienna named a street in the 3rd district after him (Billy Wilder Straße). Also Fred Zinnemann got that honor, in the 3rd district is a square named after him (Fred Zinnemann Platz)

They were both great architects which formed viennas presents face like no others. They planned buildings like the palace Belevedere or Schönbrunn.

Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach was born in 1656 Graz. Johann Lucas von Hildebrandt was born 1668 in Genua. They both lived and operated at the same time as the great Christopher Wren. But Wren was born 1632, so es Wren 1666 rebuild the St. Pauls cathedral Hildebrandt was`nt born and von Fischer von Erlach was a baby.

Hildebrandt studied by Carlo Fontana in Rome and worked since 1693 as architect. 1695 – 1696 Hildebrandt worked voluntarily as fieldarchitect in the imperial army in Italy. 1698 he became imperial counsel.

Fischer von Erlach was educated as sculptor. After that he went to Italy to architectual studies. 1689 he became the teacher from the later emporer Josef I. 1693 the Fischer von Erlach became the second time father. His Son Joseph Emanuel became a also a famous Architect and builder.

1695 Fischer became the mandate to plan the rebuilding of palace Schönbrunn. 1705 Josef I appointed Fischer von Erlach as the court master builder. At this time Hildebrandt worked already 4 years as court engineer. Fischer von Erlach and Hildebrandt faced each other as rivals. Hildebrandth and Fischer von Erlach had both worked for Prince Eugen. 1697 Fischer von Erlach start to build his Winterpalais in todays Himmelpfortgasse 8 (today a building of the ministeriy of finance) , 1702 Hildebrandth took over the work which was 1724 completed.

Fischer von Erlachs masterpeace was the Karlskirche . The architecture contest he won among others also against Hildebrandt. The laying of the foundationstone was 1716. He used different buildingelements, so he took roman triumph columns and temple porticus and a dome. Fischer von Erlach died 1723 his son accomplished the curch until 1739.

Fischer von Erlach and Hildebrandt gave Vienna in a great dimension the face that the legions of tourists love. Lets say they made a kind of „best of“ buildings in Vienna.

Fischer von Erlach died 1723 in Vienna. After Fischers death Hildebrandt earnd his higher salary but he didnt get his position as chiefcourt-engineer. Hildebrandt died 1745 also in Vienna. The Hildebrandtgass in the 17. district is named after him. Fischer von Erlach got a monument which stands at the Rathausplatz.

This places are not typical sightseeing targets in vienna. They are not spectacular in that sense. Like Schönbrunn for example but they have a special attraction. (The list is not made in a sense of a ranking)

1. Lusthaus / The Lusthaus today is a small Cafe`. It`s a traditional old building. It was used since the 18 century as a destination for the fine society. The Lusthaus is located at the end of the Praterallee.

2. Tuchlauben / A street in the 1st district with a long history. There are buildings since the roman empire. It was located inside the roman castle. In the Middle Ages clothiers had their shops their. Today there are shops, Cafe`s, Restaurants, a cinema for cineasts, The Tuchlauben is conecting the Hohe Markt and the Graben. The Tuchlauben connects the past and the presents in a nice way without any kitsch. Behind the Tuchlauben is waiting an area of small lanes to be discoverd.

3. Blumengarten Hirschstetten / The Blumengarten is located in the 22 nd district. From the U1 Sation you take the tram 26 to the station Oberfeldgasse / Spargelfeldstraße and you are right in front of the garden. There you may find plants from all over the world in a special arrangement. A special place for peoples who loves the nature and are interested in botanic knowledge in a special arrangement. Kids may have a lot of fun to. They find a labyrinth, a small zoo and a large playground. In the christmas time there is christmas market.

4. Dianabad (Lilienbrunngasse 7-9 1020 Wien/ A open swimming pool with an fantastic history. The first bath was build in 1806. In its long history the bath was not just a simple swimming pool it was used also as a entertainment center. In the middle of the 19 century it was a dancing hall. The basin was just toped with wood floor and jused as a ballroom. 1865 the danube waltz (the most famous waltz) was played here the first time. Today its a adventure bath. You get there if you come to the U1 Station Schwedenplatz and cross the Marienbrücke and go ca. 150 meter straight a head.

5. Wien Museum / The Wien Museum is located at the Karlsplatz. The museum is rather small but fine. It shows viennas long history in a nice way. There are always interesting side exhibitions. It doesn`t take a long time to get though the museum but the history is shown in a interesting and modern way. A part of the Wien Museum is the roman museum on the Hohen Markt 3 in the 1st district.

After the second ottomann leaguer Dr Johann Franckh donated an area beside the Alserstraße for a army hospital. 1683 Emperor Leopold I ordered to build a hospital for poor people on the area. Because of a leck of money the hospital was not build. Leopold I ordered 1683 a hospital for the poor and so the first yard of the later general hospital was build. 1.042 war invalid purchased after the intention Franckh quarters. 1726 donated Ferdinand Freiherr von Thavonad after his dead his property so they were able to accomplish second yard.

old general hospital 1784

On 28. January 1783 Joseph II visited the poor house and saw there was poor people with out there own intention. Joseph commanded that the house will be rebuild to a general hospital and to build the Narrenturm a building for mental ill patients (Today there is a medical museum which belongs to the Nature historical Museum Vienna). The Masterbuilder Joseph Gerl and the first director Joseph von Quarin leaded the works an on 16. August 1784 the general hospital opened his gates.

Narrenturm (2006)

Today the old general hospital quarters companies, restaurants, Cafe`s and is a frame for different events like a christmas market or a fan miles during large events like the football championships. In the yards are parks and so it is a good place to be on hot summer days.

If you enter the tram nr. 43 or 44 and leave station Langegasse you will be right there.